Gunner46
Well-known member
What would y'all consider a reasonble landowner trespass fee for a days antelope hunting, in eastern Montana?
Trespass Fee
- Thread starter Gunner46
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Washington Hunter
Well-known member
$10 but that's just me. 
Calif. Hunter
Active member
Are there antelope there? How big are they? Check references. Those two questions would determine how much I'd pay. $10 is too much if there are no antelope there!
noharleyyet
Well-known member
To hunt there or to access public land from?
Washington Hunter
Well-known member
Gunner46, If you want to hunt private land, Montana has a program they call "Block Management." It is paid for with non-residents' license fees and landowners are reimbursed based on the number of hunters they allow to hunt on their land. You ought to check into it. There is information on the Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks website. Why pay a trespass fee when you can hunt for free? However I should probably say, if you are only interested in trophy size antelope then paying a trespass fee may be the way to go. I think when I was back there a few years ago ranchers were charging $100/day, if I remember right.
BuzzH
Well-known member
I personally wouldnt pay a single cent to hunt antelope in MT on private land.
For a couple reasons:
1. Like WH said, theres lots of block management (with plenty of good critters on some of them)
2. I think its wrong for landowners to profit off public wildlife. They dont claim the income and they rip you off as well as the tax-payers.
3. Hunting once again is reduced to who has the $$$ and who doesnt when it comes to paying trespass fees.
For a couple reasons:
1. Like WH said, theres lots of block management (with plenty of good critters on some of them)
2. I think its wrong for landowners to profit off public wildlife. They dont claim the income and they rip you off as well as the tax-payers.
3. Hunting once again is reduced to who has the $$$ and who doesnt when it comes to paying trespass fees.
JoseCuervo
New member
Bottle of Crown Royal.....
noharleyyet
Well-known member
JoseC....excellent currency.
Tom
New member
I'm used to paying landowners in Texas, or any that allow and support a lot of wildlife management activities to improve the wildlife on their land and the more of that, the better. Paying them is a lot like reimbursing them for some of the habitat costs, i.e. water and browse and grass. They probably have some ranch road maintenance costs, that are reasonable to reimburse them something for.
I'm not answering your question but have some observations. The state is the middle man in the block management program, as I understand it. What does a landowner get in that program? You could offer that at least, maybe more, maybe less, depending on the antelope possibilities there. The tresspass fee seems to cut out the middle man, i.e. the state. Can't you think of it that way?
I guess you could report the tresspass fee paid to the IRS also.
Lots of people "profit" off of wildlife, if the landowner that provides food, cover and water does not, then that is wrong.
Say you shoot a 4 year old antelope that lived its life on the ranch. What does it cost to feed and water and provide shelter for 4 years? Anwering that, probably $800 is resaonable, if you take the animal that used the resources that the landower provided?
Another way to value it, is to ask yourself, how much money would it take for them to offer me to not hunt there? If I gave you $100, would you not hunt the antelope? If I gave you $200 would you not hunt the antelope? When we get to the number to not hunt the antelope, then that's the value to you.
Its definitely worth something to go to a place that you've scouted and know there's not going to be 100 other hunters there, as can happen on public access, chasing your scouted animals all over the place. The landowner has to limit the access to provide that value.
Montana only has 9 antelope in the 2003 B&C book. There are several counties in Wyoming that have that many or more, its worth more in a place like that. I think wildlife has got to be fairly valued to thrive. I don't want it all to go to the rich or to the locals, rich or poor, at non-locals expense, either.
What does a block management person get?
I'm not answering your question but have some observations. The state is the middle man in the block management program, as I understand it. What does a landowner get in that program? You could offer that at least, maybe more, maybe less, depending on the antelope possibilities there. The tresspass fee seems to cut out the middle man, i.e. the state. Can't you think of it that way?
I guess you could report the tresspass fee paid to the IRS also.
Lots of people "profit" off of wildlife, if the landowner that provides food, cover and water does not, then that is wrong.
Say you shoot a 4 year old antelope that lived its life on the ranch. What does it cost to feed and water and provide shelter for 4 years? Anwering that, probably $800 is resaonable, if you take the animal that used the resources that the landower provided?
Another way to value it, is to ask yourself, how much money would it take for them to offer me to not hunt there? If I gave you $100, would you not hunt the antelope? If I gave you $200 would you not hunt the antelope? When we get to the number to not hunt the antelope, then that's the value to you.
Its definitely worth something to go to a place that you've scouted and know there's not going to be 100 other hunters there, as can happen on public access, chasing your scouted animals all over the place. The landowner has to limit the access to provide that value.
Montana only has 9 antelope in the 2003 B&C book. There are several counties in Wyoming that have that many or more, its worth more in a place like that. I think wildlife has got to be fairly valued to thrive. I don't want it all to go to the rich or to the locals, rich or poor, at non-locals expense, either.
What does a block management person get?
God I hope those Texas values stay in Texas. Sounds like a good place to stay away from in my book.
I echo what Buzz mentioned. If you are looking for a record book buck Montana is not your place. If you are looking for a good quality hunt with lots of public and private to hunt free come to Montana. If you have $800 burning a hole in your pocket and like to watch feeders, Texas looks like the place to be.
I echo what Buzz mentioned. If you are looking for a record book buck Montana is not your place. If you are looking for a good quality hunt with lots of public and private to hunt free come to Montana. If you have $800 burning a hole in your pocket and like to watch feeders, Texas looks like the place to be.
DRAFTSTUD
Well-known member
If after all the talking is done and you are satisfied with the quality and quantity of the animals you are paying to access, then yes I would pay a fee. I base this on the fact that my time is limited and my knowledge of this area is'nt what a person who lives in that area has. My $.02
Tom
New member
question?
mtmiller,
I understand you hoping "those" values stay here, but you probably know the answer to the question. What does the block management person or landowner get? How is it computed? Why do they get it? You have that value there already, the block management program.
mtmiller,
I understand you hoping "those" values stay here, but you probably know the answer to the question. What does the block management person or landowner get? How is it computed? Why do they get it? You have that value there already, the block management program.
http://fwp.state.mt.us/hunting/hunteraccess/blockman/default.html
I think this will answer your questions. I didn't understand your last comment (question?)
I guess I would rather see a private landowner paid $3,000 by the FWP (non-resident license fees) to allow access to all the public instead of 6 guys paying $500 a piece to lock out the rest of the public.
I think this will answer your questions. I didn't understand your last comment (question?)
I guess I would rather see a private landowner paid $3,000 by the FWP (non-resident license fees) to allow access to all the public instead of 6 guys paying $500 a piece to lock out the rest of the public.
A-con
New member
A few years back, a friend of mine had a great place to hunt deer in S.E. Montana. $200 a day, or $500 a week, with 30" 180 class bucks possable, (average was 4X4 150 class). Last year he drew the tag, and called the land owner. The guy said four guys from back east had paid him $20,000 to have the ranch for the whole season ! 20 frecking grand !
This is getting out of control, hunt public land, don't pay a cent.
By the way, my friend found another ranch, and they went three for three on 22" to 25" 4X4s, $150 a day.
This is getting out of control, hunt public land, don't pay a cent.
By the way, my friend found another ranch, and they went three for three on 22" to 25" 4X4s, $150 a day.
The Hedgehog
Well-known member
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Acon, 30" 180 class bucks are possible on public land in S.E. Montana.
Tom
New member
mtmiller said:
A-con gave you an example of 4 guys who would rather pay $5000 each to the landowner. The landowner did that instead of block management.
I don't see what values you think should stay in Texas that are not in Montana about leasing private land. Those eastern guys can't scout as much as Greenhorn and if they are going to pay a high price for an out of state tag, I guess they are happy to pay the trespass fee for a good place.
Some locals would rather that didn't happen, I guess, so you could go to the block management area and scout where the eastern guy can't, maybe. I don't know why, I just imagine that as a reason. You people want to scout and pay cheap fees for tags, fine. The eastern guy will pay the trespass fee, so they only have to pay the high tag fee and make the long trip and take the long vacation less times, to be successful.
If you make me pay a big fee, I'm not going to come as often, that's for sure and I'm going to try and find a better place to hunt. Those easterners don't want to compete with the public, I guess, they want an advantage for a higher tag fee. They need an advantage to make up for not being able to scout, so they pay for it.
It seems pretty basic that the non-residents will primarily get the better places that are not public land and the locals will primarily get the public land. That's the system there, right?
A-con
New member
Greenhorn, I know, just about any trophy animal can be found on public land.
I didn’t have any problem with him paying $500 for a good 1 week hunt, but when I herd the 20K number, I realized that we will ALL be priced out, eventually. Sooner or later the guys that paid the 20 grand will call up and the landowner will say “somebody else offered me 50 grand “, then a hundred ……. Where will it end ? ( hint, it won’t until nobody can afford it )
I didn’t have any problem with him paying $500 for a good 1 week hunt, but when I herd the 20K number, I realized that we will ALL be priced out, eventually. Sooner or later the guys that paid the 20 grand will call up and the landowner will say “somebody else offered me 50 grand “, then a hundred ……. Where will it end ? ( hint, it won’t until nobody can afford it )
The Hedgehog
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I don't have any problems with the guy paying $500 either, but he got ripped off no doubt. Can't blame a landowner for taking 20 grand from some dumbass either. Good thing about the public land is I'll probably always be able to afford it.
The Hedgehog
Well-known member
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Earth to Tom.. roger out.
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